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Evaluation of the seed storage protein electrophoretic profile among popular cultivars of date palm (Pheonix dactylifera) available in different regions of Balochistan, Pakistan was conducted. The genetic diversity of seed proteins of 12 cultivars were examined by electrophoresis. Twenty one protein bands with different mobility rates were identified within a molecular weight range of 11 to 351 KDa. The cultivar from Panjgur (Soorri) was well resolved on SDS-PAGE from the all other cultivars and gave the highest number of intense bands due to unique genetic build up. Genetic diversity among cultivars was evaluated by constructing the dendrogram for protein bands, which showed the cultivar (SP1) which is significantly different from all other cultivars on the basis of similarities in molecular weight of proteins.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a sensitive plant for both biotic and abiotic stresses and directly losses the production rate under these stresses. The beneficial role of silicon has been explored in the beginning of twentieth century. Therefore the current experiment was carried out to explore the effect of silicon on defense system of wheat by antioxidant enzymes assay. In this study two wheat cultivars Umeed and Zarghoon, were grown in soil under salt stress of 100 mM NaCl. The treatments included C1 (Control), C2 (Control + salt), S1 (Na2SiO3) and S2 (Na2SiO3 + Salt). When the fag leaf appeared both the wheat cultivars were compared by estimating their antioxidants enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase) and soluble protein in different treatments. The soluble proteins and antioxidant enzymes in wheat decreased under salt stress of 100 mM NaCl. Whereas by silicon supplementation in salt stressed wheat plants, improvement in the protein quantity was observed. The application of silicon improved the defense mechanism of plant and increased the antioxidant enzymes which were suppressed by the salt stress. Umeed showed more improvement as compared to Zarghoon variety. Overall it was concluded that silicon has helped the wheat plants to mitigate the salt stress by strengthening its defense mechanism which was apparent by superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase activity.

Priming effect of silicon sources (silica gel and sodium silicate) on the seeds of four wheat cultivars of Balochistan was studied to determine their effectiveness in increasing relative salt tolerance. The study depicts that all priming treatments of silicon sources (except sodium silicate 2%) enhanced germination and reduced mean germination time (MGT) of seeds in comparison to the control i.e. hydropriming. After germination, the young seedlings were grown in hydroponics in Hoagland’s culture solution under controlled conditions in non-saline and saline (100 mM NaCl) environments. All the growth parameters (root and shoot length, fresh and dry weights of plants and chlorophyll content of leaves) severely reduced in hydroprimed seeds under saline environments, although increased by priming seeds with silicon sources. Thus silica compounds have potential effects to break the seed dormancy and improve the growth of wheat under salinity stress.

Aberrant gene expression is a hallmark of prostate cancer (PCa), the second deadliest disease affecting males worldwide. Dysregulation of miRNA has been associated with the progression of PCa and in recent studies, miRNA 574-3p was found to be upregulated in cancerous prostate tissue. In this study, we characterize the effects of upregulated miRNA 574-3p on gene expression in the tumor microenvironment through different bioinformatic tools such as Diana-Tools, the KEGG Pathway Database, and the Reactome Database. We have identified nine regulatory genes that are targeted by miRNA 574-3p and downregulated in prostate cells. Pathway analysis of these genes shows that they are involved in the regulation of the Notch signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, apoptosis, DNA damage response, G1 to S cell-cycle control, inflammatory response pathway, angiogenesis, translation factors, and the expression of oncogenes. Our results show the oncogenic potential of miRNA 574-3p in PCa progression and metastasis. Moreover, this study highlights the complex molecular mechanisms and pathways affected by the upregulation of miRNA 574-3p in prostate cells. In future studies, the presented data may aid in designing new therapies for PCa with improved efficacy.